Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-10

OF writing letter home. know tina
little can be said that is new or original d
an ocean voyage at this day, when We pac
up and run over to England with as ilttl
concern as when we go 10 Cincinnati TO
the day. But in spite of this am writing
We left New y ork Saturday. October IL
at 3 y. m. Our ship was the Elder" o
the North German Lloyd line. Captain
Birdron. and he is a right good captain, too
As was alone in New York | had ey
pected no one to ''see me of" but few
minutes before we left Mr. Charles s. Ka,
came aboard, and together we examine,
the ship that was TO be my home for ten o
twelve days, and we found h,r a veritablt
floating palace" indeed, hands ONE
equipped and furnished with degree OF
elegance and comfort equal TO any steam
ship sailing from New York.
Promptly at 2:i5 the gong sounded
and .'ali ashore" was shouted throughou;
the ship. Hand-shakings were cut short.
adieus were smothered in kisses and tears
| saw great strong men. whose voices quiy-
cred and whose eyes filled with tears, a.
| they said goodbye TO loved ones TO be alb
sent for months or perhaps forever.
At our first dinner. (which WAS called at
! : o'clock. we were presented with list Of
tirst-cabin passengers. spent much OF the
| first day or two in inspecting this and max
ing guesses rs to the names OF the paSseu-
gers. Soon. however. the reserve that we
oil brought with lis, began to wear away.
Cards were exchanged and the business of
making acquaintances was commenced.
found the names of but fifty people on
the list. But then October is not the month
that Americans choose to cross the ocean
for pleasure. And So find that our pas
sengers are made upof business men going
TO Europe to buy goods. Europeans return
ing home. and a number. like myself going
abroad to study.
Ii seems to me that We had very few dis
agreeable passengers. The few '.sn0bs''
that we have In America don't 20 to Europe
al this season of the year. presume. But
We did have not few people whom il was
pleasure and privilege To meet. There
was DIR. Curry, United States minister to
Spain, with his wife on their way to
Madrid. after spending short visit n
America. There was tie Hon. Richmond
Pearson and family. of North Carolina
going ont for prolonged sojourn abroad:
there was DIR. Dirner, OF Hungary, who
represented his country at the late interla-
ttiidi at " H.
c.; there were five young ladies going
abroad to finish their musical education.
The above ladies gave us several
impromptu concerts in the saloon.
The weather during our voyage was rath-
er cold and raw in the morning and at even
ing; but during the day it was
perfect, and when we were of
the New Foundland banks We
saw nothing of fogs or clouds So we
missed hearing the fOg-whstle. which is a
hosrse, shrieking performance repeated
every minute or two.
On the morning OF our eighth day out
land was sighted. and as we approached
the English coast ..all hands were Oh deck
10 get good look at land once more. The
day was delightful. and the white cliffs of
the English coast, with the beautiful waters
Of the channel, make a lovely picture.
Vessels Of every description pass Us all day
long. and at night, as We pass North
German LLOYD steamer. she welcomes us
with brilliant display Of Roman CANDLES.
At 5 o'clock ip the afternoon We take on
our pilot, and soon are passing the Isle Of
wight. The Southampton passengers are
rejoicing to think that their ocean voyage is
over. And We who are going on to Ger
many congratulate ourselves that We only
have twenty-siX hours more. As We leave
the new moon shines tender
ly through the moist atmosphere on the En-
glish coast, and the ship sped over the
rippling, sparkling waters with All even
keel that banished all disturbance and left
US in unmarried enjoyment of every hour
during the evening.
But the next morning the floods began 20
descend. and the winds. loaded with
frozen mist, began to break
upon US, and all day long
we drove our way through what 10 us pas
sengers at least, passed for heavy gale.
We were knocked about like so many
blocks of wood. and walking was ike
pitched roof. But few were i'll,
md all seemed TO take the discomfort as
natter of course. l asked an officer il this
was not what he wonld cali violent storm
He looked at me- with pitying smile for
moment and said, Nav l believe tie
'ails could be rent and torn from the mast. |
md the waves dash over the ves sci. fore |
md aft, and yet with the sailors it /
would be only a stiff breeze. |
At eleven o'clock Monday night |
We dropped anchor In Bremen harbor. !
The mail goes 10 Bremen that night, but we
passengers do not leave the steamer until
tuesday morning.
Our way from Bremen harbor to Bremen 1
vas through the most beautiful green mead /
'ws. all As fiat and even as a floor.
The farmers in Germany live in villages /
md not upon their farms. This. of course. |
.auses much loss of time in passing from 1
louSe to land. but time does NOT count for |
Is much here as in America.
] see As many women working in the |
ields as men. and they seem TO do all |
iinds Of farm work. from handling spade /
o driving team of cows. In America /
ows are MIXED in the morning and then |
hey leaf around all day; but in Germany |
he cows do most of the farm work as well 1
- furnish milk
The farm-toOls here are much inferior to /
hose found in America. The plow is the |
anne old unwieldy thing, with an immense /
'eam, and two large wheels, which was /
lsed in America before the revolutionary
var. The roads here. as a genera! thing. |
re good, the principal ones being paved or 1
nacadamized, and on each side shade trees .
re planted. There seems TO be an almost .
'ntire absence of pleasure wagons among
German farmers, and you see scarcely any 1
me driving for pleasure in the rural dis .
ricts. When farmer comes TO town |
le usually drives one horse alongside of the .
ongue of farm wagon.
At Bremen l staid only long enough to /
laye hurried sight of the old city. The /
sOnanesque cathedral, built in 1880. lin j
which were fine frescoes and pictures. was
me of the most interesting things saw. !
Ihe colossal Roland statue. built in 14l2. |
Ir0und which at the tine of its erection |
ourts of justice were held, was also of in
crest.
l left Bremen on Wednesday morning :.
md arrived in Hamburg in time to visit the
At this great focus of business :,
i've thousand brokers, merchants and ship